10:18
Burel – Niemeier 0:0
Then Burel allows himself the first double fault. Shortly afterwards we see the first winner. Niemeier pulls her backhand cleanly down the line. 30 both!
10:17
1 sentence
At this moment Burel opens the match. The first serve comes straight away. Niemeier puts her return in the net. And it repeats itself again.
10:15
Head 2 Head
For the fourth time, both players will face each other in an official tennis match. So far this has only happened on sand. They met for the first time in 2015 at a youth tournament in Bruchköbel. Niemeier held his own in two sets – as he did two years later at another junior tournament in Berlin. In April 2021 they met again at an ITF tournament in Oeiras, Portugal. At that time, Burel won 7:5 and 7:6.
10:13
coin toss
The coin toss now takes place together with chair umpire John Blom. The coin falls in favor of the German, who decides to strike back. Afterwards, our protagonists play something more.
10:10
Burel in the BJK Cup
Burel was called up for France for the fourth time and also made her debut in 2021. However, she has only played one singles match, which she won against the Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova after falling behind in a set. All three of her double appearances were lost. Burel was not used on Thursday against Italy.
10:05
Shortly
Both teams have now arrived on the court. The national anthems sound. So we are in the middle of the usual official part before such a duel between two national teams. So it can’t be long before the first individual starts.
10:00
Niemeier at the BJK Cup
Niemeier was nominated for the Billie Jean King Cup for the fifth time and made his debut for Germany two years ago against the Czech Republic. So far, the 24-year-old has competed in three singles events and won two of them. Twelve months ago she clearly lost out against Croatian Ana Konjuh, but then clearly prevailed against her compatriot Petra Marčinko. In April, Niemeier defeated top Brazilian player Beatriz Haddad Maia in three sets. Yesterday against Italy she was just a spectator.
09:55
Jule Niemeier
Jule Niemeier was already ranked 61st in the world, but is currently only listed as 162nd. Last year, the Westphalian made people sit up and take notice as a quarter-finalist at Wimbledon. Shortly before, she had won her first and only title on the WTA tour in Makarska. This season there were numerous opening defeats. The quarter-finals in Hamburg were still their best result.
09:50
Clara Burel
Clara Burel will be on the pitch for France. The 22-year-old is on the way up and currently holds her highest ranking position as number 61. Even though the right-hander has not yet reached the round of 16 at major tournaments, she has already appeared in two finals on the WTA tour – in Lausanne in 2021 and 2023. Both finals were lost in three sets on clay. This is what happened to her as a junior in 2018 at the Australian and US Open. Tournament victories only come at ITF level – most recently in July in Montpellier.
09:47
Golden pineapple
Unfortunately it’s all about the golden pineapple today because both teams lost their first game against Italy. The French lost 2-1 on Thursday and the Germans lost 3-0 yesterday. The Italians thus made it to the semi-finals perfect. As a result, at the end of Group D, only honor is at stake.
09:45
Welcome
Welcome to the Billie Jean King Cup! In the final round in Seville there will be a duel between France and Germany in Group D today. The first singles should begin at around 10:00 a.m. Clara Burel and Jule Niemeier dispute this against each other.